GLWS Mission
Vision, Values
Inclusion, and
How We Are
Different

GLWS Mission Statement

The mission of the Great Lakes Wind Symphony is to encourage, perform, and actively promote the finest band music featuring American composers and themes; to bring together the American people through a shared musical heritage that features the greatest artistic expression of culture both past and present; to foster compassion, empathy, caring, understanding and critical thinking through music and music educational outreach, and; to instill in all people an awareness of the importance of music to the enrichment of the human spirit and the commonality of living the American way.

GLWS Vision Statement

The Great Lakes Wind Symphony will be a premiere performing organization, recognized nationally for their excellence in programming and performance and setting a new standard for quality in band performance rivaling the reputation of the top orchestras of the country. Invested in uniting people through music and American culture, the Great Lakes Wind Symphony will be fiscally responsible and sound in structure to insure a long lasting legacy.

GLWS Values Statement

Integrity. Commitment. Execution. Compassion. Intentionality.

All members of the Great Lakes Wind Symphony will act with integrity in their personal and professional lives knowing that honesty and high ethical standards are the hallmark of excellence.

All members of the Great Lakes Wind Symphony will demonstrate through their actions a deep and abiding commitment to performing music in meaningful and artistic fashion as demonstrated in their personal preparation and lives.

All members of the Great Lakes Wind Symphony will strive for the highest levels of execution, both musically and technically, to insure the finest representation of a composer’s intent and in order to move our audience with exceptional communicative performance.

All members of the Great Lakes Wind Symphony will act with compassion for their fellow musicians and our broader audience and will endeavor to change the concert environment to be inclusive of all people.

All members of the Great Lakes Wind Symphony will act intentionally so that our mission of uniting people through music becomes a reality, knowing that our goal is to represent the finest music in our culture and to express our great diversity through music.

We believe in what we do!

Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity Statement

At the GLWS, we believe that the full breadth of the human experience is essential to artistic excellence. As a performing arts ensemble, we are committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where all artists, board members, volunteers, and audiences feel valued, heard, and respected, regardless of their background, identity, or abilities.

We recognize that the performing arts have historically excluded or marginalized underrepresented voices. We endeavor to dismantle these systemic inequities within our own organization. To translate these values into action, we are committed to the following:

1. Inclusive Programming: We will continuously curate and perform repertoire that represents a multiplicity of cultures, traditions, and perspectives, amplifying historically underrepresented composers and creators. America's melting pot is our greatest resource, and rather than a demanding approach we use the subtlety of our programming to send a clear message about diversity, equity, and inclusion.

2. Equitable Participation: We utilize open-minded, inclusive audition processes to ensure that artists of all backgrounds have an equitable opportunity to participate and thrive. Our focus is on musical excellence. No other factors are necessary.

3. Accessibility: We strive to break down financial, physical, and cognitive barriers to ensure our rehearsals, performances, and educational programs are welcoming and accessible to all. Our tickets are affordable, and we give away tickets to individuals and families with needs.

4. Community Engagement: We aim to build authentic, reciprocal partnerships with local organizations in our region of influence to ensure our work reflects and serves our evolving community. New to Williamsport, we are working to build partnerships and awareness that will expand and enrich all lives.

We acknowledge that this journey of learning and improvement is ongoing. We welcome feedback, dialogue, and collaboration as we strive to grow as an inclusive, equitable ensemble. We are committed to building a better world and acknowledge this is an ongoing process.

How the GLWS is Different

Williamsport has a wonderful music tradition. It includes the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra, the Repasz Band, The Billtown Brass, and numerous other fine performing groups, and we are delighted to share the stage with all of these wonderful organizations!

The Repasz band is one of the oldest community bands in the country. Their fine members are not paid and as a community group, they welcome a performers with a variety of levels of ability. The GLWS is a paid group of professional, auditioned players with a limited number of players. Our repertoire is often more advanced, accommodating for player abilities and interests. The Billtown Brass is modeled after the European/ American Brass Band tradition. The instrumentation does not include woodwinds, and percussion is limited. The GLWS is most closely related to the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra in terms of our performance goals, but the GLWS uses no strings other than one string bass, piano and harp. The orchestra comes from European models, versus the band tradition being based on American traditions. So many of our patrons have experienced bands in their school-aged days and are probably more familiar with the band as a genre.

The GLWS differs significantly in our mission and purposes. Our mission to increase accessibility is of paramount importance to us. Where other ensembles may have a single special event for individuals with exceptionalities or school outreach, every one of our programs is built with the expectation that children and special needs people are welcome. This means the concert environment must change to be more accepting and welcoming of all families.